If there is one skill that unlocks the whole French language, it is conjugation. Once you understand how French verbs change their shape to match who is doing the action and when, sentences stop feeling like a wall of unfamiliar words and start clicking into place. In this guide we will walk through French verb conjugation from the ground up, in plain language, with tables you can actually use. Whether you are ordering a coffee in Paris or writing your first email in French, the patterns below are the foundation you will build on for years.
What is conjugation, exactly?
Conjugation is simply the way a verb changes form to communicate three things: who is performing the action (the subject), when it happens (the tense), and sometimes the mood or attitude behind it. In English we do this too, we just do it quietly. Think of “I speak” versus “she speaks”, or “I walk” versus “I walked”. French does the same job, but with more visible endings.
Every French verb has an infinitive, the dictionary form that has not yet been shaped to a subject or tense, such as parler (to speak), finir (to finish), or vendre (to sell). To conjugate a verb, you usually remove the infinitive ending, find the stem, and attach a new ending that matches the subject and tense. Learn the endings once and you can apply them to hundreds of verbs.
Subject pronouns come first
Because the ending of a French verb depends on the subject, you need the subject pronouns before anything else. These are the people doing the action, and French has six slots that every conjugation table follows in the same order.
| French pronoun | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | Becomes j’ before a vowel |
| tu | you (informal, one person) | Friends, family, children |
| il / elle / on | he / she / one (we) | on is very common in speech for “we” |
| nous | we | Formal or written “we” |
| vous | you (formal or plural) | Politeness and groups |
| ils / elles | they | elles = an all-female group |
Getting comfortable with these pronouns will also help you with related grammar, so it is worth a look at our full guide to French pronouns once you have the basics down.
The three regular verb groups
French verbs are traditionally sorted into three groups based on how their infinitive ends: -er, -ir, and -re. The overwhelming majority of French verbs are regular -er verbs, so learning that pattern gives you enormous mileage right away.
Group 1: -er verbs (the big one)
To conjugate a regular -er verb in the present tense, drop the -er to get the stem, then add the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. Here is parler (to speak) in full.
| Pronoun | parler (to speak) | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| je | parle | -e |
| tu | parles | -es |
| il / elle / on | parle | -e |
| nous | parlons | -ons |
| vous | parlez | -ez |
| ils / elles | parlent | -ent |
A lovely quirk of spoken French: the -e, -es, and -ent endings are all silent, so je parle, tu parles, and ils parlent sound identical. Verbs like aimer (to like), habiter (to live), and travailler (to work) all follow this exact pattern.
Group 2: -ir verbs
Regular -ir verbs use the endings -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. Take finir (to finish): je finis, tu finis, il finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent. That extra -iss- in the plural forms is the signature of this group. Common members include choisir (to choose) and réussir (to succeed).
Group 3: -re verbs
Regular -re verbs take the endings -s, -s, -, -ons, -ez, -ent, and notice that the il/elle form has no added ending at all. With vendre (to sell) you get je vends, tu vends, il vend, nous vendons, vous vendez, ils vendent. Verbs like attendre (to wait) and répondre (to answer) behave the same way.
Meet the essential irregular verbs
Some of the most useful verbs in French refuse to follow the rules, and unfortunately they are the ones you will use every single day. The good news is that there are only a handful of true heavyweights, and repetition makes them stick fast. Start with être (to be) and avoir (to have), the two verbs you cannot live without.
| Pronoun | être (to be) | avoir (to have) |
|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | suis | ai |
| tu | es | as |
| il / elle / on | est | a |
| nous | sommes | avons |
| vous | êtes | avez |
| ils / elles | sont | ont |
Two more you will reach for constantly are aller (to go) and faire (to do/make). Aller goes je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont, and it doubles as the engine for talking about the near future. Faire goes je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font, and it appears in countless expressions about weather, activities, and chores.
Beyond the present: three tenses to know
Once the present tense feels natural, you will want to talk about yesterday and tomorrow. Three tenses cover most everyday conversation.
Passé composé (the everyday past)
The passé composé describes completed actions in the past, like “I ate” or “we arrived”. You build it with a present-tense helper verb (usually avoir, sometimes être) plus the past participle of your main verb: j’ai parlé (I spoke), nous avons fini (we finished). A small set of movement and reflexive verbs use être instead, as in elle est allée (she went). For a deeper walkthrough, see our dedicated guide to the passé composé in French.
Imparfait (the background past)
The imparfait sets the scene, describes habits, and paints ongoing states in the past, the equivalent of “I was speaking” or “we used to live”. Take the nous form of the present, drop the -ons, and add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. So parler gives je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait, and so on. French speakers weave passé composé and imparfait together constantly, one for events and one for the backdrop.
Futur simple (the future)
The futur simple expresses what will happen. For most verbs you keep the whole infinitive as the stem and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: je parlerai (I will speak), nous finirons (we will finish). Handily, those endings are close cousins of the present tense of avoir, which makes them easier to remember.
Reflexive verbs
Reflexive (or pronominal) verbs describe actions you do to yourself, and they carry an extra pronoun that matches the subject. The infinitive shows this with se, as in se laver (to wash oneself). In use it becomes je me lave, tu te laves, il se lave, nous nous lavons, vous vous lavez, ils se lavent. Daily-routine verbs such as se lever (to get up) and s’appeler (to be called) are reflexive, which is why “my name is” comes out as je m’appelle. If you have studied Spanish, you will notice the idea mirrors reflexive verbs in Spanish quite closely.
Tips to memorize conjugations faster
- Learn verbs in full “sets”, not single forms. Chant all six pronouns together so the rhythm becomes automatic.
- Master the top irregulars first. Être, avoir, aller, and faire appear in a huge share of sentences and unlock other tenses.
- Group verbs that pattern together. When you learn parler, you have effectively learned hundreds of -er verbs at once.
- Practice out loud. Because many endings are silent, hearing yourself locks in the sound-to-spelling connection. Our French tongue twisters are a fun way to train your mouth.
- Use a reliable reference. Bookmark a conjugation tool such as Reverso Conjugator or a dictionary like Larousse to check any form in seconds.
Common mistakes to avoid
Even careful learners trip over a few predictable things. Watch for these:
- Forgetting silent endings. Ils parlent is written with -ent even though you do not pronounce it. Skipping it in writing is a classic slip.
- Choosing the wrong helper in the passé composé. Most verbs take avoir, but a handful take être, and those require agreement (elle est partie).
- Dropping the reflexive pronoun. Je lave means you are washing something else; je me lave means you are washing yourself.
- Mixing up passé composé and imparfait. One reports a finished event, the other describes an ongoing situation. When in doubt, ask “was this a single moment or a lasting scene?”
Frequently Asked Questions
How many verb tenses does French have?
French has around a dozen tenses across its moods, but everyday communication really leans on four or five: the present, passé composé, imparfait, and futur simple, plus the near future built with aller. Master those and you can handle the vast majority of real conversations.
Which French verbs should I learn first?
Start with the giants: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), and faire (to do/make). They are irregular, extremely frequent, and act as building blocks for other tenses, so the time you invest in them pays off immediately.
Are all -er verbs regular?
Nearly all of them follow the same tidy pattern, which is why -er is such a friendly place to begin. The main exception is aller, which looks like an -er verb but is actually irregular. A few others have small spelling shifts (like manger becoming nous mangeons) to keep pronunciation smooth.
What is the difference between tu and vous?
Both mean “you”. Use tu with one person you know well, such as a friend, relative, or child. Use vous to be polite with someone you do not know, someone older, or in professional settings, and always when addressing more than one person. When unsure, vous is the safe, respectful choice.
How long does it take to master French conjugation?
With steady practice, most learners feel comfortable with the present tense and the top irregular verbs within a few weeks, and gain solid control of the main past and future tenses within a few months. Consistency beats cramming, and speaking regularly with a tutor accelerates everything.
Start conjugating with confidence
French conjugation looks intimidating from the outside, but as you have seen it rests on a small set of repeatable patterns. Learn the pronouns, master the three regular groups, drill the essential irregulars, and add tenses one at a time. If you would like a friendly expert to guide you and correct you along the way, book a French class with The Cognitio and start speaking real, confident French from your very first lesson.